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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 55 / Wednesday, March 20, 2024 / Notices
noaa.gov; (503) 820–2412) at least 10
days prior to the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XD773]

Pacific Fishery Management Council;
Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
AGENCY:

The Pacific Fishery
Management Council’s (Pacific Council)
Ad Hoc Ecosystem Workgroup (EWG)
will hold an online meeting, which is
open to the public.
DATES: The online meeting will be held
Friday, April 5, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 12
p.m. Pacific Time.
ADDRESSES: This meeting will be held
online. Specific meeting information,
including directions on how to join the
meeting and system requirements will
be provided in the meeting
announcement on the Pacific Council’s
website (see www.pcouncil.org). You
may send an email to Mr. Kris
Kleinschmidt (kris.kleinschmidt@
noaa.gov) or contact him at (503) 820–
2412 for technical assistance.
Council address: Pacific Fishery
Management Council, 7700 NE
Ambassador Place, Suite 101, Portland,
OR 97220–1384.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kit
Dahl, Staff Officer, Pacific Council;
telephone: (503) 820–2422.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
purpose of this online meeting is for the
EWG to discuss and draft the contents
of a report with its recommendations for
the Council Operations and Priorities
agenda item that the Pacific Council
will discuss at its April 2024 meeting.
Although non-emergency issues not
contained in the meeting agenda may be
discussed, those issues may not be the
subject of formal action during this
meeting. Action will be restricted to
those issues specifically listed in this
document and any issues arising after
publication of this document that
require emergency action under section
305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act,
provided the public has been notified of
the intent to take final action to address
the emergency.

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SUMMARY:

Special Accommodations
Requests for sign language
interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to Mr. Kris
Kleinschmidt (kris.kleinschmidt@

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Dated: March 15, 2024.
Rey Israel Marquez,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024–05874 Filed 3–19–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Alaska Region Permit Family
of Forms
The Department of Commerce will
submit the following information
collection request to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and clearance in accordance
with the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, on or after the date of publication
of this notice. We invite the general
public and other Federal agencies to
comment on proposed, and continuing
information collections, which helps us
assess the impact of our information
collection requirements and minimize
the public’s reporting burden. Public
comments were previously requested
via the Federal Register on October 3,
2023 (88 FR 68110), during a 60-day
comment period. This notice allows for
an additional 30 days for public
comments.
Agency: National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
Title: Alaska Region Permit Family of
Forms.
OMB Control Number: 0648–0206.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: Regular submission
(extension of a current information
collection).
Number of Respondents: 430.
Average Hours per Response:
Application for Federal Fisheries
Permit: 21 minutes; Application for
Federal Processor Permit: 25 minutes;
Exempted Fisheries Permit application:
100 hours.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 256
hours.
Needs and Uses: The National Marine
Fisheries Services (NMFS), Alaska
Region, is requesting extension of a
currently approved information
collection for the applications for the
Federal Fisheries Permit (FFP), the
Federal Processor Permit (FPP), and the
Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP).

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NMFS requires an FFP for U.S.
vessels that are used to fish for
groundfish in the Gulf of Alaska or
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. An
FFP is also required for vessels used to
fish for any non-groundfish species and
that are required to retain any bycatch
of groundfish under 50 CFR 679.4(b).
An FPP is required for stationary
floating processors (processing vessels
that operate solely within Alaska State
waters) and is required for shoreside
processors that receive and/or process
groundfish harvested from Federal
waters or from any federally permitted
vessels. NMFS issues an EFP to allow
groundfish fishing activities that would
otherwise be prohibited under
regulations for groundfish fishing. EFPs
are issued to support projects that could
benefit the groundfish fisheries and the
environment and result in gathering
information not otherwise available
through research or commercial fishing
operations. Regulations governing these
permits are at 50 CFR 600.745, 679.4,
and 679.6.
Section 303(b)(1) of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act specifically recognizes
the need for permit issuance. Requiring
a permit for marine resource users—
mandated by 50 CFR 679.4(b), 679.4(f);
679.6; and 600.745(b)—is one of the
regulatory steps taken to carry out
conservation and management
objectives. Permit issuance is essential
in fishery resources management for
identification of the participants and
expected activity levels and for
regulatory compliance. The information
requested on the FFP, FPP, and EFP
applications is used for fisheries
management and regulatory compliance
by NMFS Sustainable Fisheries
Division, NMFS Restricted Access
Management Program, NMFS Observer
Program, NOAA Office of Law
Enforcement, the U.S. Coast Guard, and
the North Pacific Fisheries Management
Council.
The type of information collected on
the FFP application includes permit
holder identification information, vessel
information, permit information, and
species endorsements. Information
collected on the FPP application
includes processor identification
information, stationary floating
processor or community quota entity
vessel information, and vessel
ownership information. An EFP
application includes information on the
applicant and a description of the
project design including how it will
vary from current fishing regulations,
the species affected and targeted, when
and where the fishing will take place,
the vessel that will be used, and a

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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 55 / Wednesday, March 20, 2024 / Notices
provision for public release of all
obtained information.
Affected Public: Individuals or
households; Business or other for-profit
organizations.
Frequency: Annually; Every 3 years;
On occasion.
Respondent’s Obligation: Required to
Obtain or Retain Benefits; Mandatory.
Legal Authority: Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act.
This information collection request
may be viewed at www.reginfo.gov.
Follow the instructions to view the
Department of Commerce collections
currently under review by OMB.
Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be
submitted within 30 days of the
publication of this notice on the
following website www.reginfo.gov/
public/do/PRAMain. Find this
particular information collection by
selecting ‘‘Currently under 30-day
Review—Open for Public Comments’’ or
by using the search function and
entering either the title of the collection
or the OMB Control Number 0648–0206.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of
the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs,
Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2024–05844 Filed 3–19–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Foreign Fishing Vessel
Permits, Vessel, and Gear
Identification, and Reporting
Requirements
National Oceanic &
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection,
request for comment.
AGENCY:

The Department of
Commerce, in accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), invites the general public and
other Federal agencies to comment on
proposed, and continuing information
collections, which helps us assess the
impact of our information collection
requirements and minimize the public’s
reporting burden. The purpose of this
notice is to allow for 60 days of public

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SUMMARY:

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comment preceding submission of the
collection to OMB.
DATES: To ensure consideration,
comments regarding this proposed
information collection must be received
on or before May 20, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are
invited to submit written comments to
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer,
at [email protected]. Please
reference OMB Control Number 0648–
0075 in the subject line of your
comments. Do not submit Confidential
Business Information or otherwise
sensitive or protected information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
copies of the information collection
instrument and instructions should be
directed to Jasmine Prat, Fishery Policy
Analyst, Office of International Affairs
and Seafood Inspection (F/IS5), 1315
East-West Highway, Silver Spring,
Maryland 20910, 301–427–8364 or
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
This request is for the extension of an
existing information collection.
The National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) issues permits, under the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (16
U.S.C. 1801 et seq.; MSA), to foreign
fishing vessels fishing or operating in
U.S. waters. MSA and associated
regulations at 50 CFR part 600 require
that vessels apply for fishing permits,
that vessels and certain gear be marked
for identification purposes, that
observers be embarked on selected
vessels, and that permit holders report
their fishing effort and catch or, when
processing fish under joint ventures, the
amount and locations of fish received
from U.S. vessels. These requirements
apply to all foreign vessels fishing,
transshipping, or processing fish in U.S.
waters. Information is collected from
persons who operate a foreign fishing
vessel in U.S. waters to participate in a
directed fishery or joint venture
operation, transship fish harvested by a
U.S. vessel to a location outside the
U.S., or process fish in internal waters.
Each person operating a foreign fishing
vessel under MSA authority may be
required to submit information for a
permit, mark their vessels and gear, or
submit information about their fishing
activities.
To facilitate observer coverage,
foreign fishing vessel operators must
provide a quarterly schedule of fishing
effort and upon request must also
provide observers with copies of any
required records. For foreign fishing

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19813

vessels that process fish in internal
waters, the information collected varies
somewhat from other foreign fishing
vessels that participate in a directed
fishery or a joint venture operation. In
particular, these vessels may not be
required to provide a permit application
or mark their vessels. The information
submitted in applications is used to
determine whether permits should be
used to authorize directed foreign
fishing, participation in joint ventures
with U.S. vessels, or transshipments of
fish or fish products within U.S. waters.
The display of identifying numbers on
vessels and gear aid in fishery law
enforcement and allows other fishermen
to report suspicious activity. Reporting
of fishing activities allows monitoring of
fish received by foreign vessels.
II. Method of Collection
Foreign fishing activity reports are
made by radio when fishing begins or
ceases, to report on transfers of fish, and
to file weekly reports on the catch or
receipt of fish. Weekly reports may be
submitted by fax or email.
Recordkeeping requirements for foreign
vessels include a communications log, a
transfer log, a daily fishing log, a
consolidated fishing or joint venture log,
and a daily joint venture log. These
records must be maintained for three
years. Paper forms are used for foreign
fishing vessel permit applications. No
information is submitted to NMFS for
the vessel and gear marking
requirements.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648–0075.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Regular submission
(extension of a currently approved
collection).
Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 8.
Estimated Time per Response: For
permit applications: One and one half
hours for an application for a directed
fishery; two hours for a joint venture
application, and 45 minutes for a
transshipment permit. For fishing
activity reporting: 6 minutes for a joint
venture report; 30 minutes per day for
joint venture record-keeping; and 7.5
minutes per day for record-keeping by
transport vessels. For weekly reports, 30
minutes per response. For foreign vessel
and gear identification marking: 15
minutes per marking.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 82.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: $3,337 in recordkeeping/
reporting costs.

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